To create lasting solutions to big social problems, organizations need to work together and focus on a clear goal. This idea is known as Collective Impact. Fresno DRIVE's Measurement and Evaluation System (M&E) helps us see how well our programs are doing and how Fresno is doing in areas like the economy, neighborhoods, and people's lives. The M&E system is comprised of three levels of evaluation:
Level 1: Program Evaluation
Fresno DRIVE program's evaluation system requires each initiative to report on what they've done, what they've achieved, and the challenges they've faced. This information helps us understand where we've succeeded and where we need to improve, guiding how we allocate resources in the future. It also allows our communications and impact teams to share stories supported by solid data.
Level 2: Surveys
The second component of Fresno DRIVE’s M&E system includes our DRIVE Conditions for Change Surveys. These surveys assess the factors that our community identified as crucial for creating an inclusive, dynamic, and sustainable regional economy. They gather comprehensive data by asking consistent questions across all DRIVE initiative leaders. This approach allows us to track DRIVE's overall progress and measure our success in implementing critical conditions for significant improvements.
Level 3: Data Dashboard
The interactive online dashboard shows data from 28 different measures related to upward mobility, which means how people can move up or down in society and the economy. These data come from public sources like the U.S. Census and are grouped under three main areas that DRIVE focuses on: economic development, human capital, and neighborhood development. This tool helps many people, including researchers, community leaders, and policymakers, make informed decisions to improve economic and social mobility in the Central Valley.
Here are some of the ways that a strong M&E team contributes to the DRIVE network:
Informed Decision-Making: The evaluation provides data to help our team make strategic decisions. Knowing what works and what doesn't helps our programs adjust their strategies to be more effective and efficient.
Continuous Improvement: Regular M&E helps track our progress over time, allowing us to identify areas where we can improve and make changes to boost the impact of community work.
Resource Allocation: Understanding the effects of different programs helps us allocate resources more wisely. This ensures our funding and efforts support strategies that deliver the best results.
Demonstrating Impact: Showing results through data-driven numbers, stories, and trends proves the value of our community work. This highlights our achievements and attracts continued and new support from funders.
Community Engagement and Communications: Evaluation helps us generate success stories that we can share out and inform the community about ongoing efforts.
Learning and Innovation: Fresno DRIVE’s M&E team employs continuous evaluation to foster ongoing learning and experimentation with new ideas. Additionally, we aim for our data tools to empower our community by providing insights into implementing data-driven strategies in their own initiatives.
Alignment of Efforts: In collective impact projects, different groups work together toward shared goals. The M&E system ensures everyone's efforts are coordinated and contribute effectively to these objectives.
Dr. Chelsea Chapman, Senior Research Analyst
Dr. Katie Crockett, Senior Data Manager
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